Short takes on issues

This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2012, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

County legacy • Outgoing Salt Lake County Mayor Peter Corroon should be feeling good about his legacy following Tuesday's election. Another Democrat, Ben McAdams, will move into the office Corroon decided to vacate when his second term expires this year. Voters approved a $47 million bond for a new park and completion of trails and other regional parks in the county. Although the County Council rejected Corroon's initial $123 million park bond proposal that would have helped the county catch up on park maintenance projects, 56 percent of his voting constituents supported the more modest ballot proposal. And voters in Millcreek Township rejected incorporation by a wide margin, essentially giving Corroon's outgoing administration a vote of confidence. We hope Corroon doesn't leave the political scene permanently. Utahns need more leaders like him.

Lining up at polls • Utah voters turned out in large numbers on Election Day, and the state recorded the highest participation yet in early voting, in person and by mail. In fact, in the highest turnout this century, about 75 percent of registered voters cast ballots. That's about 1.5 million Utahns. And, it must be noted, about that percentage of voters put their mark next to the name of Mitt Romney for president. The opportunity to support the man many Utahns consider a favorite son is probably a big reason for the high turnout. It was also the first election in which Utahns could vote in four congressional races instead of three, and the campaign in the new 4th Congressional District was a heated one, between Republican Mia Love and longtime Democratic Congressman Jim Matheson. We hope that, in a state that traditionally lags in voter turnout compared to the nation, this happy trend continues.

No new city • Voters in Millcreek Township rejected a ballot measure Tuesday to make their community Salt Lake County's 17th city. Residents of Millcreek, East Millcreek, Canyon Rim and Olympus Cove were not swayed by arguments that the township is not well-represented by the Salt Lake County Council. No member of the council lives in the area. Unofficial results show incorporation failed by a 60 to 40 percent margin. The rejection was the right decision. Higher taxes would have been almost inevitable if the township became a city. The incorporation effort, which may not be dead, according to proponents, prompted county officials to be more responsive to the needs of the area. And that's a win for everyone in Millcreek.

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